On a gorgeous Monday (Sept. 2) Tim Tetrick had plenty to smile about as he became the seventh driver in the history of harness racing to steer 14,000 winners when Reload captured the $13,514 fourth leg of the Kentucky Wildcat Series for three-year-old filly trotters in 1:54.4.

The 42-year-old has been a bright light in this sport since he picked up the reins as youngster in his native state of Illinois. All Tetrick ever wanted was to be a successful driver and he was supplied with the building blocks for that dream through his father Tom.

Tom, however, could not create what his son would become. That was up to Tim. The Hall of Famer has proven he was up to the task and has established astounding numbers to reach the pinnacles he sought during his youth. He collected his first victory at 16 in 1998 with Travel Legacy N at the Paris County Fair in the Prairie State.

Tetrick’s purse earnings of $279.2 million are only in arrears of the legends John Campbell and David Miller. He joins another elite club with Dave Palone, Tony Morgan, Aaron Merriman, Herve Filion, Cat Manzi and Miller as the only pilots to guide that number of horses to the winner’s circle.

Tetrick, referred to as the “Bionic Man” due to hip replacement surgery in 2008, broke the number of victories in one season in 2007 with 1,189 that was set by Walter Case Jr. in 1998 with 1,078.

Market Share and Tetrick captured the 2012 Hambletonian. The reinsman has also collected four Meadowlands Pace trophies, two North America Cup finals and been at the controls behind Horse of the Year Chapter Seven. Other champions Tetrick has guided to glory include Horse of the Year Shartin N, Captaintreacherous, JK Shesalady and Geocentric.

The filly Reload is by Greenshoe and out of First Class Filly.

Reload was bred by Al Libfeld and is trained by her co-owner, Tony Dinges. The filly now sports a resume of 2-0-2 in nine starts and is also owned by Dein Spriggs. Her final time of 1:54.4 was a new lifetime mark.

Reload paid $4.40 to win as the favourite.

Woman Of Passion subdues Date Night Hanover in Championship Series

Woman Of Passion (Todd McCarthy) terminated Date Night Hanover’s (Dexter Dunn) three race-winning streak in Lexington by subduing that rival in 1:50.1 in the $108,108 fourth leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series for three-year-old pacing fillies. Spy Coast (Gingras) was third at odds of 28-1.

Leaving from post position four in the field of seven, the daughter of Walner-Womans Will entered the pocket spot immediately after the wings of the gate unfolded. Allegiant (Scott Zeron) went to the front and clicked off fractions of :28.1, :55.3 and 1:23.1. Date Night Hanover resided in fourth place for the first three splits of the mile.

As the fillies turned for home, Woman Of Passion strode past a tiring Allegiant to take control. Date Night Hanover came with her pace, but Woman Of Passion had plenty to give. The filly hit the wire with a :26.3 final panel, while Date Night Hanover’s :26.2 final quarter mile just came up a bit short.

Conditioned by Carter Pinske, Woman Of Passion was bred by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. She is owned by Libfeld and is the fourth foal out of the prolific Womans Will, who amassed $616,316 on the racetrack.

Woman Of Passion only had a maiden victory in nine starts as a two-year-old but has stepped it up in her second season of competition. Her 2024 record is 7-1-1 in 10 starts and she has earned $251,691.

The filly paid $25.32 to win at the windows.

Better Is Nice returns to the winner’s circle in Championship Series

Kentucky champion Better Is Nice (Andrew McCarthy) withstood the late charge of favoured Women Layer (T. McCarthy) to take the $108,108 fourth leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series for sophomore male pacers. Nuclear (Dunn) rounded out the trifecta.

In a contest that saw multiple lead changes and horses vying for the top spot, Better Is Nice commenced pacing from post position four and remained in that position after the starter car left the field of nine to their own devices.

Longshot Steely Knife (Gingras) shot to the lead and paced in :27 for the mile’s first fraction. Women Layer was the garden spot for the first quarter and until the half-mile pole, but Dancin Champion, who won the last leg of this series, and D. Miller had their own plans.

That duo carved out the second fraction of :54 prior to Better Is Nice pulling then rolling to the lead. Women Layer was shuffled into fourth as Better Is Nice paced a :27.1 third quarter mile and a :27.2 final panel to stop the clock in 1:48.3.

The time was new lifetime best for the son of Bettors Delight-Thatsoveryverynice.

Better Is Nice upped his bankroll to $803,377 and had his picture taken after a fourth and second in the last two legs of this series.

Trained by Tony Alagna, who also co-bred and owns the colt, Better Is Nice has a slate of 10-4-4 in 23 starts.

Better Is Nice is also owned by Pryde Stables and Birnam Wood Farms. Marvin Katz is co-breeder and the son of the talented Thatsoveryverynice exchanged hands for $30,000 at 2022 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Better Is Nice paid $18.44 to win as the fourth choice.

Drawing Rights draws off in Commonwealth Series

First leg victor Drawing Rights (Dunn) equaled her lifetime mark of 1:52.3 in the $45,541 fourth leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for two-year-old trotting filles. The daughter of International Moni-Charity Hall was the fourth choice in a field of nine. Favoured House Of Music (A. McCarthy) was second and Stubborn Chee (D. Miller) was third.

Drawing Rights, who captured the first leg of this series, is now 4-2-1 and has earned $82,267 in purse money in 11 starts.

Murray Ferguson bred and owns the filly who is a half-sibling to Eternal Lee (Southwind Frank, $576,832).

Drawing Rights paid $15.22 to win.

Swaggy Cal took the second Kentucky Commonwealth division, a non-betting race, with a pocket trip en route to a 1:52.3 by a neck. Marvin Luna drove the Todd Luther student to victory for Greg Luther Racing LLC.

Four $20,270 Kentucky Goldenrod Series divisions went to the gate with splits won by Dolce Amara ($2.60) and Scott Zeron in 1:53.1, Ged Ged Yah ($10.94) and Andy Miller in 1:53.2, and Justasiam As ($7.18) and Tony Hall in 1:53.2. Lou Hill took the lone non-betting division of the Goldenrod Series with a 6-1/2 length romp in 1:51.1, piloted by Dexter Dunn. 

Andy Miller guided five winners on the 17-race card.

Racing continues at The Red Mile on Tuesday (Sept. 3) with a first post of 1 p.m.

(With files from The Red Mile)